Lakers expected to get another re-Phil

Nov. 10, 2012

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Lakers coach Phil Jackson tries to communicate with his players during the Thunder comeback in the Western Conference playoffs. Jackson could replace the ousted Mike Brown as soon as Tuesday. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Lakers coach Phil Jackson tries to communicate with his players during the Thunder comeback in the Western Conference playoffs. Jackson could replace the ousted Mike Brown as soon as Tuesday. MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The Lakers are moving quickly down the fastest, clearest path to re-establishing championship confidence in their world: re-hiring Phil Jackson as head coach.

Jackson could be back in place as Lakers coach by Tuesday vs. San Antonio, though far more likely his debut would be Friday against Phoenix at Staples Center.

Jackson met with Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak at Jackson's home in Playa del Rey on Saturday. Both sides expressed great interest in getting a deal done for a remarkable third go-around for Jackson as Lakers coach.

With Howard's opinion particularly crucial considering the Lakers need his signature on a new contract this summer, the Lakers have concluded that it's clear both fans and players want no one but Jackson, whose 11 NBA coaching championships are the most in North American professional sports history.

Jackson, 67, is in good health after having his right knee replaced early this year. But he has never enjoyed the rigors of the NBA schedule, and he is interested in making the arrangement as suitable for his lifestyle as possible. Former Jackson assistant coaches Rambis, Jim Cleamons and Frank Hamblen are not currently locked up with other teams, which is convenient, but there are issues for Jackson and Lakers management still to work out.

Jackson is also interested in setting up an arrangement for a successor, perhaps Kurt Rambis, though Lakers management is not interested in making any certain future commitments. Short-term arrangements should be fairly easy to work out, both sides believe.

Although expecting to re-sign Howard to anchor the franchise, the Lakers are just focused on winning titles this season and next season – covering the remaining two seasons on Kobe Bryant's contract and the last chances before the Lakers execute planned payroll cuts to duck overwhelming luxury-tax penalties.

As far as Bryant is concerned, he got along well enough with Mike Brown to be texting back and forth about necessary adjustments the night before Brown was fired Friday morning. And Bryant is friendly with D'Antoni and Dunleavy, for sure.

But Bryant has won championships only with Jackson as his coach.

"He teaches guys to be thinkers," Bryant said. "This is how he teaches. He teaches us the little nuances, the details and the intricacies of the game that just a lot of people don't know. It's no fault of their own. When it comes to basketball, he's genius level."

Jackson's motivation last time he returned to the Lakers was largely to make amends to Bryant, whom Jackson felt he could connect with even as his close friends were calling him crazy for playing that game.

Jackson won, in more ways than one. The Lakers grabbed consecutive NBA titles in 2009 and '10, and he and Bryant bonded in a way they never did during Bryant's early years next to Shaquille O'Neal.

But the Lakers' defense was badly fragmented in a 4-0 sweep vs. eventual NBA champion Dallas in the 2011 playoffs – there being beliefs within the team that Jackson's rotation system was too complicated to accomplish, especially with slow-footed Andrew Bynum out there.

Howard's presence now will make defensive scheming easier for Jackson as he seeks redemption for that failure, which came about after Jackson actually wanted to step down after the 2010 title. Jackson's small-town minister father told him that the voice loses its effect on one flock after five years, and Jackson's preference would've been to stop his second Lakers stint at five years, same as his first stint.

Jackson decided to stay on one more season to ensure his staffers had jobs for the year before the expected NBA lockout, answering the appeal of Bryant and Derek Fisher and giving himself and the Lakers one more shot.

Perhaps the messages had lost some of their effect after those five years, but those close to Jackson say his deep voice has regained some power with renewed energy behind it.

Jackson, frankly, is tired of sitting around.

Jackson's primary project since leaving the Lakers in 2011 was a memoir with author Hugh Delehanty with a working title of "Eleven Rings." That title – same as for Jackson's 2004 book: "The Last Season" – won't be fitting if Jackson wins one or two more NBA titles.

As overdramatic as Jackson might be with book titles, so far he has proved that he delivers in his comebacks. After leaving for coaching hiatuses in 1998 and 2004, Jackson returned to pile up five titles in the next 10 years as Lakers coach.

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